L.A. PARKER: Count me in  if it means helping the hopeless

A friend recently labeled me as a social conservative based on my opinion that something should be done about the hordes of homeless people hanging out at the Trenton Train Station.

Her assessment caused a rush to an online dictionary for definition.

If social conservatism means we have a duty to attempt rescue of people inflicted with alcohol addiction, drug addiction, mental illness, and poverty then make me president of this ideology that supports preservation of morality.

If social conservatism means that children and families are strengthened by love, respect, personal responsibility, educational efforts, community service, volunteerism then sign me up.

My social conservatism membership may be terminated based on the fact that “traditional” in terms of family discounts a variety of households that fall outside the lines of such an abstract concept.

First, my opinion is not that our homeless population should be kicked out of a public place into the cold. I bristle against a plan for city officials to go Rudy Giuliani rogue on the homeless or panhandlers, their numbers increasing like some bad zombie apocalypse film.

However, they stop and sometimes stay all day inside the train station. Their presence cultivates indignation by some morning travelers while others pretend our homeless rank as invisible trespassers.

Employees whisper about a homeless group that allegedly steals toilet paper, relieves themselves in all parts of the building, even shoot up in bathroom stalls.

“We can’t keep up,” a worker said. “We’re always replacing toilet paper. One time, somebody just ripped the entire toilet paper (dispenser) off the wall. We have homeless people here from Camden. They ride the Light Rail to Trenton then spend the entire day here. It’s crazy.”

Workers said they asked for an immediate resolution.

“But legally, they can stay here all day. As long as they are not causing a problem, nothing can be done,” employees said.

Nothing sounds like surrender to an issue that drags on any hope for Trenton revitalization.

Mary Gay Abbott Young noticed a covey of homeless people inside the Trenton Train Station during a recent trip.

“Not just noticed them but knew many of them,” Abbott-Young, executive director for the Trenton Rescue Mission, said.

““We have the ability and facilities to get homeless people off the street 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We will deal with about 1500 unduplicated cases this year. Those 20 or 30 homeless people seen at the train station are just a tip of the iceberg. Those homeless people represent a small percentage of our homeless population. They become the face of our homeless population rather than those who take advantage of three city facilities.”

Homeless individuals can overnight at Trenton Rescue Mission, access meals at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, and spend daylight hours at the Salvation Army, including an 11 a.m. church service on Sunday.

Some may avail themselves of support from agencies strained from a sort of overpopulation of homeless patrons. Others find places like the train station, city library and state library.

Recently, an initiative called “Points In Time” attempted to count the number of homeless people in Mercer County. Final numbers will assess how Mercer County, especially Trenton, has been affected by difficult financial times.

A personal eyeball of this problem assures that we have more homeless, some tucked away in bushes, under overpasses, or tented in wooded areas.

Abbott-Young agreed that if homeless people interrupt daily activities at the train station then officials should find a way to offer them other alternatives.

“In that same line of thinking, we would not let people come into the Trenton Rescues Mission and interrupt our daily procedure either,” Abbott-Young explained.

Abbott-Young said she would support a round-table discussion regarding ways to alleviate the train station issue.

Meanwhile, a city, county or state agency should visit the train station for a talk with our homeless. That sounds like a reasonable approach to confronting our homeless problem in a boots on the ground effort.

We can’t sweep this homeless issue into a summer climate or push the problem into a neighboring community, although Trenton rightfully or unfairly, accepts a lion’s share of homeless linked to other Mercer County towns.